When Prayer Doesn't Work

At last - an honest book about prayer. One that's rooted in the Celtic tradition of wandering pilgrims who make a practice of being lost, who don't know where they're going, casting themselves adrift on the sea like Columba in his rudderless coracle. Prayer for them was an exercise in giving up specific expectations, while gaining a heightened awareness in their abandonment to risk. It led Columba to the island of Iona, a magical place that forms the heart of this book. Margaret Somerville considers prayer as an invitation to an uncharted wilderness, drawing on wonderful sources from various faith traditions.
~ Belden Lane, author of The Great Conversation: Nature and the Care of the Soul; and Backpacking with the Saints: Wilderness Hiking as Spiritual Practice


Margaret's work is inspiring and necessary. This book is a trustworthy guide and a revolution of redefinition that empowers people to a path of deeper authenticity and wholeness with prayer, with self, with existence.
~ Chelan Harkin, author of The Prophetess, The Return of The Prophet from the Voice of The Divine Feminine


When Prayer Doesn't Work is not just a book - it's a wake-up call. At a time when our prayers for peace seem to echo unanswered, Margaret Somerville rethinks, reframes, and reimagines prayer as more than supplication. She invites us to shift from an I-Thou relationship with the Divine to an intimate oneness with Source, where each thought is sacred, each word is a prayer, and every action serves the wholeness of all that is. This book liberates us from the limitations of transactional prayer and reveals the profound truth that presence itself is prayer. It is a must-read for anyone seeking to embody a prayerful life, where connection replaces petition and wholeness dissolves separation. A deeply moving, paradigm-shifting guide for our times.
~ Arun Wakhlu, Executive Director, Foundation for Peace and
Compassionate Leadership; Member of the Board, Charter for Compassion


What is prayer? Can it happen anywhere, anytime? What are we even doing when we pray? Author Margaret Somerville invites us to consider these questions, along with the possibilities that open up when we recognize that prayers can fit anywhere, and challenges the notion that there's a 'right' way to pray. When Prayer Doesn't Work is a grounding and accessible book for everyone who seeks connection to the divine. Here is an essential companion on the journey created by allowing the holy to rise from the ordinary; a reimagining of what it means to pray.
~ Heidi Barr, author of Collisions of Earth and Sky, 12 Tiny Things, and Church of Shadow and Light


In When Prayer Doesn't Work, Margaret Somerville shares her own experiences of despair and joy, weaving them into a deeply personal narrative. As the Wise Woman, the Spinster, she becomes a guide - inviting us to reflect on our everyday lives as sacred texts, to sense the Divine in the ordinary, and to rethink, reframe, and reimagine how we approach prayer and contemplation.
'Margaret encourages us to broaden our spiritual vision, to embrace div erse perspectives, and to explore new ways of connecting with the sacred. She challenges conventional notions of prayer,especially at life's pivotal "threshold" moments:

Traditional prayers at threshold moments might ask for forgiveness for what has been, and for guidance for what is to be. But here's the tricky part: there is no reality other than the threshold itself. The prayer is standing in that moment of threshold. And being aware of the divine in the doorway with you. Loving you no matter what lies behind. Loving you no matter what lies ahead.

In the end, despite the wisdom offered by countless spiritual traditions and Holy Scriptures, we must confront ourselves - take responsibility for our actions, thoughts, and intentions - and, as Margaret puts it, "stand in that moment of threshold," facing our personal Web of Wyrd.
This book opens new pathways and windows into spiritual understanding. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking fresh inspiration in their spiritual practice. It is especially valuable for those involved in interfaith work, offering insight into a range of religious and spiritual traditions - some of which were new to me. As a Wiccan Priestess, I was particularly pleased to see respectful inclusion of paganism and nature-based religions. Thank you!
~ Morgana Sythove, Wiccan Priestess. International Coordinator for PFI/Pagan Federation International, The Netherlands.


This beautifully crafted book is a precious gem sparkling with insights and practices; it awakens our heart and mind to the "Glow of Presence" in the course of our daily life.
~ Imam Jamal Rahman, author of Spiritual Gems of Islam


When Prayer Doesn't Work is a wonderful invitation to practice being lost, to reframe and reimagine our vision in expansive ways that reach across myriad faith traditions to create a tapestry of care in a world that desperately needs it. This is the kind of book I would take with me along with Chodron's When Things Fall Apart. Lovely, poignant, and powerful.
~ Patty Krawec, Wabanan Anangokwe, author of Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future and Bad Indians Book Club: Reading at the Edge of a Thousand Worlds


In this beautiful and timely read, Margaret Somerville highlights how, despite our theological differences, the human yearning to connect with the Divine is something we all share. As someone from the Muslim tradition, I deeply appreciated her reflections on the physicality of prayer and the importance of creating safe spaces for it to be integrated into our daily lives, including the workplace. Margaret eloquently conveys how prayer is a sincere longing for peace, presence, and purpose. This book is a powerful reminder that prayer is a universal language - one through which we all seek communion with our Creator.
~ Kashmir Maryam, author of The Muslim Woman's Islamic Book Collection, including The Muslim's Woman's Manifest, Nafsi, and Be Soft, Be Strong: Inspirational Reminders for Muslim Women


A deeply inspirational and personal book. Moving from being lost to reimagining ways to pray. From seeing prayer as a petition that needs to be answered to one as being connected and in the presence of the Divine instead. From one's own tradition to learning from others. It gives me hope that peace is possible both within and in our troubled world.
~ Rev. Dr. Urzula Glienecke, Latvian theologian, artist and activist, member of the Iona Community, Interfaith Chaplain at the University of Edinburgh